Author:
Mossyra of the II
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 02:47:54 08/18/07 Sat
Terril stared at the warrior's face in front of her for a moment before gently laying his head on the ground. Tambun had been one of her best friend's and the Abbey Warrior also. And now he was dead, with no one to follow him. Redwall needed a Warrior and there was no warrior. She felt tears falling down her face and looked up at the sky, rage welling in her heart alongside pain and loss. What she saw made her forget the past horrors for a moment.
The sky, normally a clear blue since it was high noon, was a fiery red and the sun was almost black. She remembered that Tambun had murmured something with his dying breath and searched for parchment or bark to record his words. All she came up with was a roughly oval piece of red sandstone. Drawing her dagger, she began to engrave the words that had been burned into her memory by Tambun's soft, weak voice.
When the skies blaze red,
And the distant sun turns black,
The unbreakable pact will shatter,
And a warrior will be lost.
Hope remaining fades away,
And time itself turns cruel,
For no hero is living,
That can stop this growing evil.
The ancient cloth doth fade,
Then vanish completely,
And with it goes the hope,
Turning freebeast into slave.
Only a hero now dead,
Long turned to dust and dream,
Can bring back the good,
And hold against all foes.
Where is the warrior,
That has taken new birth?
To the lost shore thorn,
Where he first lived.
Come from that shore,
He lives his life again,
Feeling slavery's chains,
Losing much that is close.
Until his final loss,
Drives him to the sword,
And he finds her again,
With the hope reknewed.
For a moment Terril stared at the stone. Then, with anger swelling in her heart, she threw it as far as she could. FOr a momant it hurtled through the air faster and farther than an arrow could fly, the sky reflecting on its dull surface. Then it splashed into the river and was washed away by the raging current. Terril fell against Tambun's limp body and wept.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nine Seasons Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Martin waited until the latest wave had passed, then sent his stone skimming across the surface of the sea. He felt pain because he was sure his mother was dying. No one would tell him how she was doing, but the cutlass had slashed deep into her side and he knew she didn't have much longer. His father was already dead, killed three seasons earlier by searats, and he had only friends. No family was left in the world for him but his mother. If she died, so would he. His heart lay with her.
After a long while had passed he glanced up at the sun and saw it was far past noon. He frowned. Dan had said he would come and tell him when it was time for the noon meal. Unless . . . Martin tore down the beach, sand spraying from beneath his paws, and searched for any sign of someone coming to fetch him. Maybe his mother had died and they wanted to leave it as late as possible to tell him. Maybe.
He was halfway down the beach when he saw his friend. Or rather, saw the limp form that had been his friend. Two arrows stuck out of Dan's back and a broken half of the third shaft lay on the sand a few paces away. Martin fell to his knees by Dan's side and lifted his friend's head in his paws.
"Dan," he whispered, staring at the closed eyes and slightly parted mouth. There was no response, not even a whisper of breath. "Oh, Dan," Martin sobbed, hugging the unmoving squirrel to him. "Why'd you have to come for me? Couldn't you just take the young ones and flee? Why, Dan!" He wept with his friend cradled in his arms, uncaring of the world around him. Somebeast came up behind him, but it didn't matter. A sharp pain came from the side of his head and he fell into darkness.
Rose rose before dawn and padded noiselessly to the larder. She filled a pack with cheeses, scones, flagons of water and cordial, and breads before slipping it onto her shoulder, taking her walking staff from beside the door, and heading out. She closed the door silently and quietly moved from shadow to shadow until she was free of the buildings. Then she left Noonvale.
Before she had reached the stream she felt a light tap on her shoulder and, without turning, said, "I was wondering when you would show up, Sam." A young squirrel with a mischevious twinkle in his green eyes flipped over her head to land in front of her, where he made a mock-curteous leg. "At you service, young Rose. I managed to make it off without so much as waking a bumblebee. Now, shall we find your rascal of a brother, O fair one?" The squirrel ducked under the playful blow she had aimed at his head and popped up to one side, grinning like a duck at a feast. "I thought so. Come on!" Sam scampered lightly ahead and she chased after him, laughing. Now she had a companion to share the hardships of the journey with.
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
|
Feedback: 